Happy Poetry Friday! I am still on poetry cloud 9 after all the Poem in your Pocket Day festivities! Today, I am sharing some of the fun things that we did at my school to celebrate this perfectly pocketed poetic-filled day. For more of the poetry round-up, head over to JoAnn's space Teaching Authors.

There were poems in pockets throughout our entire school yesterday. And by the end of the day, there were none. That's because they were all tucked away in the pockets of children! It was so fun to see the excitement on their faces when they plucked a poem from the pocket and began to read.

What made it even more exciting was that the poems were written by the fourth grade poets at our school. Each poem was like a special treasure that students carried with them and read throughout the day.

I am including my own fourth grade son's poem below. He really enjoyed getting to write his poem and share it with others. It was a perfectly splendid "poem in your pocket day" for all.

I had to join in the fun, too! Here is one of the poems that I gave as a gift to all the staff members at my school to place in their pockets for the day.

When Giving Is All We Haveby Alberto RiosOne river gives Its journey to the next.

We give because someone gave to us.We give because nobody gave to us.

We give because giving has changed us.We give because giving could have changed us.

We have been better for it,We have been wounded by it-

Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,Big, though, small, diamond in wood-nails.

Invitation to Write:

I invite you to pick a poem for your pocket this week. Carry it with you wherever you go. Let each line, each word, and each pause be your guide as you journey throughout the day. Live with your poem for a week, for a month, for a lifetime. May it bring you pockets full of joy each time you read it!

Welcome, welcome! It's a glorious day for Poetry Friday! If you are looking for more poetry after your visit, head over to Tabatha's space The Opposite of Indifference for more poetry tidbits.

This week, I have really been thinking about the things that I am most grateful for in life. I call these things my blessings. Sometimes, I like to list those blessings and turn my lens of attention to them. I always find nuggets of joy that inspire poetry!

Invitation to Write:

Think about some of the things that you are most grateful for. Make a list of your "thankfuls" or blessings in your life. Consider each one, paying careful attention to the significance of each. Try jotting some thoughts and ideas in your notebook. Which ones are drawing your lens of attention today?

Welcome Poetry Friday readers! This week, I am sharing a poem that sprang up while I was exploring some different ways to use space and line length.

For more poetic posts, visit Dori at Dori Reads. She's rounding up the poetry peeks for us today. Thanks, Dori!

Invitation to Write:

Try having some fun with white space and line length in one of your poems. Notice how the changes in space and length influence the different aspects of your poem. How do the changes impact both the structure and the mood? Read your poem out loud, paying careful attention to your chosen syntax and line breaks. Rewrite if you choose, but be sure to save each draft! You might decide to take them out of the compost pile later and plant them in a new poem where they will grow just fine. Keep revising and rereading until your poem says to you, "I'm ready!"

Happy National Poetry Month! What an exciting week to join in the round-up of words and all things poetry! Irene is hosting the celebration at her space Live Your Poem. It's sure to be a splendid poetry party, so don't delay!

While every day is a day to honor the art of poetry, it's extra special to have thirty consecutive days devoted to the power of poetry. I look forward to this month all year long when everyone comes together to spread the poetry love.

Though I have not taken on a poetry project this month like many of my PF friends, I look forward to reading all that these magnificent poets will share! I plan on participating in my own way each day as well. So this week, I am looking back in my notebooks for notes or poems inspired by guest poets that I have had the privilege to hear speak over the years. The first notebook entry I found was from 2014 when the always amazing, Georgia Heard came to our school district to share. Here are a few of my notes from her workshop, along with a poetic entry it inspired. Happy #npm17!

​Poets:

observe the world around us

find poetry in the ordinary

see beauty in the ugly

are curious and filled with wonder

love the meaning and sounds of words

look at the world in a new way

always look for poetry seeds

see that you can look at anything and find a poem​​

​Poetry hides...in the moon, the stars, the sun on my skin, the birds in the trees, the voices of my children, beneath the water and the soil-

no matter where I am, it lives in me, somewhere quiet, dark and deep, but still, always with me, always carried in my soul wherever I go...the seashell on the beach, each speck of sand between my toes, and the waves that crash upon the shore.

Invitation to Write:

This month, poetry will be celebrated by many. It's so fun to learn about all the projects that poets role out throughout the month. What are your favorite poetry projects?

One of the best things about National Poetry Month is that there are endless ways you can join in the fun. So even if you don't decide to do a project, there are still opportunities to share in the joy of poetry. There are some great websites that will give you tons of ideas. One of my favorites is poets.org. You can find more about the celebration along with ways to participate. Twitter is another go-to favorite of mine for finding poetry inspiration throughout the month. Just search for #npm17 and you'll be set! Will you participate this year? How so?

You can start right now if you like! Think about where poetry hides for you. Finish this sentence stem inspired by the poet Georgia Heard.Poetry hides...

Author

Welcome! I'm Kiesha Shepard, and I have a love for writing and the teaching of writing. Whispers From the Ridge is a place where I can share my words and ideas for teaching writing. It's also a place for you to find inspiration for writing the words inside of you. I invite you into my world of writing as I capture the whispers from the ridge.